September 28, 2023 — Ocean quahogs are growing much faster and maturing earlier, in “one of the clearest examples of how climate change is affecting marine life,” according to the Science Center for Marine Fisheries.
Two new studies funded by the center found “a clear pattern of biological change over time in response to climate conditions” during the past two centuries, according to a summary. Ocean quahogs can live 200 years – one of the longest-lived marine species.
“In 1800, the average ocean quahog reached full maturity between 18 and 26 years, and reached a commercially harvestable size (according to the standards of the modern fishery, developed in the 20th century) in anywhere from 63 to 119 years,” according to the center. “By 2000, ocean quahogs were reaching maturity as early as 8 years, and had reached harvestable size between 26 and 29 years, over three times faster than 200 years ago.”
The papers, published in the journals Continental Shelf Research and Estuarine, Coastal, and Shelf Science, examined ocean quahog growth rates, and their changes over time, by studying the age and length data of a large, diverse sample set of ocean quahogs, and finds a clear pattern of biological change over time in response to climate conditions.